


A Brigid Too Far Away

by WillyFourEyes



Series: Cyan Sky [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/F, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Lunch date, Moving to Another Country, Ocean Voyage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21864397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillyFourEyes/pseuds/WillyFourEyes
Summary: Dorothea announces her intent to leave Fódlan to fulfill a promise she made to Petra. On her way to her new home, the heir to the Brigid throne has a few surprises for Dorothea...
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary
Series: Cyan Sky [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1574371
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Dorothea Sets Sail

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place three days after "The Emperor and the Busy Bee", with another short timeskip to mark Dorothea's journey. As with "Emperor and Bee", this story contains Crimson Flower spoilers.

One of the higher priorities on Emperor Edelgard's wish list was to get the Officers' Academy up and running once again. The academy, as well as the rest of Garreg Mach Monastery, was closed to the public during the war after the Empire had captured it in their first and most historically significant blow against the Church of Seiros. The conflict had destroyed the central altar where most worshippers had gone to pray. Edelgard had never cared for the teachings of Seiros and chose not to pray to her or to Sothis, but she still occasionally visited the cathedral at Byleth's request as a student to participate in Choir Day and the occasional celebration of the birth of the Four Saints. Byleth had spent untold hours assisting with the restoration of the Saint statues hidden in a chamber behind the altar. Now it fell upon Edelgard to direct the cleanup effort as she allowed Byleth to continue to rest.

The Emperor's attention was focused on a few groundskeepers lifting heavy stones away from the site of the wreckage. As she pondered what would be built in the altar's place, she was interrupted by a young woman with flowing brown hair and a fancy red dress.

"Hi, Edie--I mean, Your Majesty," said the woman.

Edelgard turned around to greet Dorothea Arnault, a former singer for the Mittelfrank Opera Company who was later recruited by the Emperor as a general in her elite Black Eagle Strike Force unit. Dorothea had a habit of giving most of her Black Eagles classmates cute nicknames, and Edelgard was no exception. Even the more prickly and proud members of the group, such as Hubert or Ferdinand, chose not to object.

"Dorothea! It's good to see you again," said Edelgard, who walked over to hug her former classmate.

"Say, can I talk to you for a moment? It's very important." Though Dorothea's tone remained cheerful, Edelgard looked at her with concern, as Dorothea was carrying a suitcase that looked too heavy for her to be carrying across the compound all by herself.

"All right, but whenever I hear the words 'Can I talk to you for a moment', bad news usually follows."

"Oh, no, it's nothing 'bad', so to speak."

"Might it have something to do with the suitcase in your hands?"

Dorothea set the suitcase on the floor and began to laugh nervously. "I guess it was pretty obvious, huh?"

"A little," Edelgard admitted. "There's nothing for you to be embarrassed about, Dorothea. We've been friends and comrades for a long time. If you need anything, I'd be happy to listen."

"Thank you, Edie."

Dorothea sat down in one of the nearby pews, exhausted from carrying the heavy luggage from her dorm room to the cathedral. "So, I've actually been thinking about doing this for a while, and now that the war's over, I can follow through with it."

"Follow through with what, exactly?" asked Edelgard.

With a deep sigh, Dorothea replied, "I'm leaving Fódlan behind."

Edelgard was aware that the war had taken a physical and emotional toll on everyone, none more so than Dorothea, who gradually became disillusioned with fighting as she watched more people die on all sides, including close friends she once knew from her youth. Hearing that one of her friends was leaving the continent left Edelgard stunned. "Is there anything I can do or say to convince you not to leave?" she asked, her voice trembling with uncharacteristic sadness.

"No, it's not your fault, Edie," said Dorothea. "I think you'll be a wonderful leader, and I've stood by you all the way. You know that. But you said I was free to go my own way once we'd won the war, and this...just feels right to me right now."

"What do you plan on doing when you leave Fódlan? Are you going to try to revive your singing career?"

"Maybe someday, but there's a lot of the world outside of Fódlan that many of us still haven't seen yet. I promised Petra that I would go with her to Brigid again and let her show me around."

"I know it's going to be quite a shock moving to a new country, but I think you'll have no problem adjusting as long as she's with you."

"Yeah...just the thought of it is pretty scary. I never really bothered to study the language of Brigid. I hope I don't embarrass myself trying to talk with the locals…"

Dorothea stood up and started to walk out of the cathedral with her suitcase. Talking so much about leaving behind the land she had called home all her life was beginning to dampen her spirits, as well. Edelgard reached out to Dorothea and placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to slow her down. "Take it easy, Dorothea," she said, sounding once again like the fearless leader who had led the Empire to victory. "All of that will come in time. For now, just focus on relaxing. After everything that's happened over the last five or so years, I think you've earned that right."

Dorothea pulled Edelgard in for a hug. The hardness of the Emperor's nigh-impenetrable armor felt strangely comforting to her. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Edie," she said.

"And you'll be missed too. Not just by me, but also by our old professor and our friends in the Black Eagle Strike Force."

Dorothea looked down at Edelgard's right hand and noticed a glimmer of blue light shining off her ring finger. "That's a lovely ring you've got there," she said. "I never saw you wear that during the war. Where'd you get it?"

Edelgard lowered her voice so that only Dorothea could hear her. "It was a gift...from a very close friend of mine."

"A 'close friend', huh?" Dorothea stopped for a moment to ponder the identity of Edelgard's mystery suitor. "I'm pretty sure it's not Hubie, because he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to show his affections with flashy jewelry. I also think it might be Ferdie, but I don't know how close the two of you really are."

"No, it wasn't Hubert or Ferdinand."

"Then who is it? I can't stand not knowing these things."

"Let's go outside for a moment, shall we? It might help a bit if I gave you a visual."

"Okay."

Edelgard signaled for the groundskeepers on duty to take a short break while she and Dorothea left through the side exit leading to the Goddess Tower.

"So," Dorothea began to ask, "who do I get to congratulate on making you the luckiest bride-to-be in all of Fódlan, huh?"

"You're probably going to be as shocked as I was when it happened to me, but…"

Dorothea braced herself in anticipation. For Edelgard to leave a dramatic pause in her speech like that, the payoff had to be good.

"It was our teacher...no, I believe we should call her Lady Byleth now," said Edelgard.

Dorothea let out a loud gasp that could almost be heard from the other side of the cathedral. "No way! You and the Professor?! I mean, sure, I was wondering why she spent so much time talking to you outside of all of our strategy meetings, and I joked that the two of you would probably be cast as the romantic leads if they ever made a play about the war, but...wow! I had no idea she felt that way about you. This is amazing news!"

Edelgard smiled as her cheeks turned bright red. "I was so focused on fighting the war that I was blindsided when the Professor asked me to meet her in the Goddess Tower again. She proposed to me that night, so of course, I accepted it right away."

"Aww… That's so sweet! I wish I had met  _ my _ 'special someone' at this tower. Guess there's no chance of that happening now…"

"There are many more things to enjoy in life than love, Dorothea. That said, I wouldn't put off your search just yet. You might still find the person you're looking for in Brigid. Who knows? Maybe if you're like me, the person in question might be closer than you think."

"Really? Well, in any case, I know you and Lady Byleth have a  _ lot _ of work ahead of you, so I wish you both the best of luck. Don't forget to send me an invitation for the big day, now!"

Dorothea waved to Edelgard and left, taking her suitcase with her. Before Edelgard could think of doing any of that, she had to make sure the conditions were absolutely perfect. The cleanup and reconstruction process needed to go faster...


	2. Petra Goes Overboard

With nothing in the way of quests to fulfill since the official end of the fighting, Dorothea had little money of her own. All of the gold left in the Black Eagle Strike Force's war chest was immediately placed into the reconstruction fund, with Byleth, Edelgard, and the others only receiving a small portion of what was left over. Dorothea had to sell her magically-charged Levin sword to afford food, room and board, and a carriage ride to somewhere that would get her to Brigid safely.

Two days after leaving Garreg Mach, Dorothea eventually found her way to a port town in Hevring territory. She hoped to run into Linhardt while she was in the area, but he was nowhere to be seen. Rumor had it that he was planning to return to the monastery after taking care of business at home so that he could have access to the library and its vast, varied collection of books on magic and Crests.

After an overnight stay at the local inn and a hearty breakfast, Dorothea walked down to the pier where there were three wooden ships in the dock. The largest one looked like it was built to haul cargo and not passengers, so she hoped that the smaller boats were sturdy enough to carry her to her destination without sinking or getting attacked by pirates.

"Hey there, missy!" said a man in a brown bucket hat. "Great day for a boat trip, isn't it? Where ya headed off to?"

"Um...one ticket to Brigid, please," she said.

The man tipped his hat up so Dorothea could see his eyes. He appeared to be hiding something, but she couldn't tell what it was. "Brigid, you say? You're in luck! Another young lady about your age was also heading in that direction. She paid for two tickets, so I guess she must have been waiting for someone. I think it might have been you."

Dorothea knew only one person who would have paid for her fare ahead of time: Petra Macneary.

As the only two members of the Black Eagles who had no connections to the Imperial royal families, Petra and Dorothea had forged a special friendship in their time at the Officers' Academy. Petra was actually a princess of the Brigid royal family, but her unpretentious attitude and eagerness to study Fódlan culture made her easier than the others to approach. It was Petra's idea for them to travel to Brigid together. Dorothea wondered why she hadn't already gone home to relay the news of the war's end to her grandfather, the king.

The man in the bucket hat approached one of the smaller boats and beckoned for Dorothea. "Hurry along now! We're getting ready to weigh anchor, so I wouldn't want to keep your guest waiting too long."

"Thank you so much, sir!" said Dorothea. "I'm on my way."

Carefully, Dorothea approached the wooden plank connecting the pier and her vessel. One wrong step would have sent her into the sea below, possibly without a chance to save herself from drowning. She waited for the boatman to board before walking across the plank herself. While she looked around for the cabin where she would be staying for the duration of her trip, she spotted Petra by the starboard beam, looking out toward the sea. Petra noticed Dorothea approaching and walked up to her for a hug, with Dorothea slipping Petra a quick kiss on the cheek when no one was looking.

"Dorothea! It is good to be seeing you again, my friend," said Petra. Her proficiency in the Fódlan language was not yet where she wanted it to be, but her friends had grown accustomed to her manner of speech over time.

"The pleasure is mine, Petra. How have you been?" asked Dorothea. "Have you been waiting long?"

"I was not waiting long. May I help you in carrying your luggage to the cabin?"

"Sure, Petra. Thanks."

The ship pulled out of the pier as Petra carried Dorothea's belongings to a private passenger cabin below the deck. For a small vessel, the lower deck was cozy and unusually well-lit, with no obvious signs of wear or tear. Dorothea guessed that the boat must have only gone on a few voyages before she arrived.

"By the way, Petra," said Dorothea, "I've noticed that there aren't any other passengers on this boat. Are you sure that it's safe for us to use?"

"It is a private vessel," said Petra. "It will be just the two of us going to Brigid."

"Oh, really?" Dorothea gave Petra a playful grin. Having some peace and quiet was nice, but getting to spend it alone with Petra was an even nicer bonus.

Their cabin was sparsely furnished, with only a full-size bed and a pair of dressers topped with lamps and a stack of travel journals. They sat on opposite ends of the bed and tested it to make sure it was soft and sturdy enough to support both of them in case they needed to take a nap along the way.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Brigid," said Dorothea. "At least now when I go there, I won't have to worry about Church soldiers chasing after us."

"You should not have to worry about much danger where you will be staying," said Petra.

"Where  _ am _ I going to be staying, anyway? Do you know of any good inns or taverns on your island?"

"Regretfully, I do not...but I can ask my grandfather to be letting you stay in the guest room at the castle."

"There are castles in Brigid, too? Oh! I wonder if the capitol is as big as the palace in Enbarr…"

"No, I do not think the capitol castle in Brigid has as much size as the palaces in the Empire."

"I see… Oh, well. It's really not that important. Just a thought, that's all."

Once she had fully surveyed the room and unpacked her clothes, Dorothea left the cabin to go out to the deck and get a good view of the sea. The boat had pulled away from the mainland, leaving her and Petra surrounded on all sides by ocean water. Even the port town where she had disembarked was nowhere to be found on the horizon.

"Well, I guess this is it," Dorothea said to herself. "Today, I'm leaving everything behind… Edie, Hubie, Bernie, Ferdie, Caspar, Lin, the Blue Lions, the Golden Deer...we had a lot of great times together, didn't we? You guys all have nice and fancy homes to go back to. Me? I'm still trying to find mine. Maybe I'll see you guys again, maybe I won't. I know you can't hear me saying any of this, but please...make sure Fódlan stays peaceful for me, and for Edie...and for everyone."

Dorothea stood as close to the center of the upper deck as possible and let the ocean breeze blow around her. It helped ease the pain of her homesickness a little bit, and it made it easy for Petra to find her when she came out of the cabin.

"What is the matter, Dorothea?" asked Petra. "Are you getting the ocean sickness?"

"No, I'm not getting seasick," said Dorothea, "but thanks for your concern. I am a little hungry, though. What do they have to eat here?"

"I was visiting the kitchen and I was seeing the cook make some stew with vegetables. Does that sound like something you would be liking?"

"Sure! I was hoping they'd have some kind of fruit dish, but vegetable stew sounds good."

Together, Dorothea and Petra went down to the kitchen across from their cabin to eat lunch. The stew reminded Petra of the food served at the monastery's dining hall. Dorothea took a few bites and wondered if it was possible for a vegetable stew to have  _ too many _ vegetables. She soon decided that no...it wasn't possible.

"This stew is delicious!" said Dorothea. "I'd love to learn how to make a dish just like this."

Petra shuddered as she remembered Dorothea's kitchen misadventures from the past.

"Oh, come on! I've been reading up on lots of cookbooks. I'd like to believe that I've improved at least a little bit in the last five years."

"I cannot be knowing that for certain," said Petra, "but I will take you at your word for the moment."

Dorothea noticed some fresh drops of soup on Petra's dress and looked for a towel to wipe them off discreetly. "Let me get some of that, Petra. It's the least I can do."

"Thank you," said Petra.

After Dorothea and Petra paid for their meal, they went back to the deck and stood side-by-side. The scenery around them hadn't changed, but the wind was starting to pick up, tossing the girls' hair around with it.

"I have to say, Petra...this is one of the most unique lunch dates I've been on," said Dorothea, raising her voice in order to hear herself over the sound of the ocean waves.

"Date?" asked Petra.

"How could it not be? Just the two of us, on a boat, with no one else around to disturb us… It's a totally different experience from the dining hall at the monastery. I'd like to do this again sometime, but I don't know how often I'd get to ride out to sea like this."

"I would be liking that as well, Dorothea. When I am out on the ocean, I am feeling very relaxed. When I am sharing food that I like with friends, it also gives me great joy."

"Aww...that's so sweet of you to say! But...are you sure that this isn't, you know...a bit much? A private boat ride, our own private cabin, a lunch date, you inviting me to live in your castle...this is all coming at me so suddenly."

Petra could only laugh when she saw how flustered Dorothea was getting. "It is not a problem. I wanted to do all of these things...to show my gratitude for all of the times you have shown me kindness in the past. Is it not customary in Fódlan to give great gifts to those whom you love?"

"Well, of course, Petra. It's only natural to--wait, what did you say?"

Dorothea's pace quickened. In all the time she had known Petra, she had never heard her use the word "love" even once. She had also never felt Petra's hands gripping hers as they turned to face one another. They were the hands of a seasoned hunter - the kind of hands that would absolutely not let you go if they held onto you when you were in danger.

"The truth is… I do not have full understanding of why I am feeling this way," said Petra. "When I am spending time with you, it feels like I am always meant to be spending that time with you. In the classroom, in the monastery, on the battlefield, and even on this boat. When you are near, Dorothea, I am always feeling happiness. That is why I was asking you to come with me to Brigid...because I want you to feel the same happiness that you have given to me for many years."

It soon dawned on Dorothea what was happening. All of the "private time" they had arranged for each other over the years had drawn them closer in ways neither of them had imagined. Dorothea wanted to be the one to confess her love to Petra when the time was right, but Petra had already beaten her to it, which only made things more exciting in her eyes.

"You know, Petra, when you say it  _ that _ way," Dorothea teased, "it makes us sound like we're already a couple! If that was your intention all along, then I don't have any objections."

"I am not objecting either," said Petra, smiling and brushing a finger across the neckline of Dorothea's dress. "Would you...kiss me again?"

"Right now, there's nothing else I want to do more."

This time, Dorothea pressed her lips against Petra's, clinging onto her as the waves splashed around them and the sun ducked behind the clouds overhead. It felt almost like nature itself wanted to give the happy new couple some private time.

In another half day's journey, Petra would return home with another exciting new story to tell her grandfather. Dorothea didn't know whether to thank or curse Edelgard for being right about her finding love with a close friend. Between that and moving to a new home in Brigid, she felt like she could finally start the life she always wanted to have after leaving the opera. The only thing missing was a way for her to earn money for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter was a bit tougher for me to write than the first. I don't know if I was fully consistent in getting Petra's speech quirks down (no contractions, using the -ing forms of most verbs, etc.). Still, I liked writing this because I wanted to toy with the idea of Petra being the first one to confess, rather than the openly flirtatious Dorothea doing it.
> 
> My next Cyan Sky story, when I get around to it, probably won't have many romantic elements to it. I'm going to be starting Through the Motions (my original story) up again next year, so the schedule for future additions to this saga will be sporadic at best.


End file.
